Infinite Lies, Extraordinary Confidence
by AberrantAtHeart
Summary: Tony wasn't used to the idea of being in someone's debt. Especially not when that person is Loki, who made a split second decision that changes everything. Maybe Tony could blame his willingness on the need to understand any and all things, including Thor's estranged brother.


**Edit Update : Friday June 8, 2012**

Story: Infinite Lies, Extraordinary Confidence

Rating: M

Beta: Meru-chan and ikidthenot

Thank you both so much for everything- taking your free time to help me with this story, I love you both.

Summary: Tony likes to keep it simple; Fight, drink, work and sleep. Too bad Loki had a way of causing chaos, even if it wasn't always intentional. This was certainly not what anyone /Loki.

Warning(s): Violence, language and sexual content.

Author's Note: This is set in the movie verse **but** isn't canon. It's just the movie setting, I guess. I have changed quite a few things that happened in the battle during the movie. It's not a very long chapter, so bare with me. And please Enjoy. Reviews are always appreciated!

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Chapter 1:

_An Unexpected Occurrence_

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Tony sighed heavily, looking over the aftermath of the battlefield with distaste. The wreckage, a feature Tony was never concerned about when it came to heavy battle, or any battle for that matter, was unimaginable. Signs of enemy life, left behind after the closing of the portal, were still flaring up occasionally and with no distinct pattern. Just when the team thought they'd destroyed the last of them, more came swarming from random parts of the city in a last-ditch effort to get the upper hand. It was useless on their part. The Avengers had succeeded in cutting off any new threats and eliminating a large mass of the army. But somehow, _lucky_ for the overexerted avengers, the most enthusiastic of the foreign enemy had managed to survive.

There was really only one explanation, considering Loki's staff had been used to end the battle; Loki hadn't been the only one summoning the army to earth.

It was possible Loki had teamed up with a fellow enemy of the Avengers, which Tony wouldn't put past him. Or maybe they'd acted alone, taking the perfect opportunity to attack the city in hopes that the combined forces would be too much for the Avengers to overcome. They definitely hadn't expected Loki's army to go down so easily. Tony knew at this point it was next to impossible to identify the other culprit, if his assumption was correct. They had probably evacuated the battlefield at the first signs of defeat, maybe even traveled worlds away, leaving behind the scraps of their effort.

Tony shook his arm, grunting as the heavy suit protested the movement. The dents and crushed metal were obvious signs the suit would need major repair, if not completely rebuilt. He could chance going back for a back-up suit, although he really didn't feel like dealing with Fury's wrath for leaving everyone else to fend for themselves in the mean time. But (he knew) he wasn't going to be much help with the condition he was in now, new suit or not.

Tony had yet to come across any stragglers himself and for that he was grateful. He wasn't sure if his suit and his body could handle another fight.

As if sensing his line of thoughts, Steve's voice echoed throughout his helmet. Tony flinched at the volume of it, "Tony! Are you okay? It's not safe to be out in the open like that!"

Tony scoffed at the overly concerned member of his team, glancing about the debris in search of his patriotic colors.

"Take it down a few notches, Cap. I like my eardrums intact," he responded curtly.

He spotted Steve quite a distance away, carrying a civilian over his shoulder as he jumped around the ruins in search of a safe area. His eyes were obviously focused on Tony's position, though.

"Sorry," Steve had the decency to feel bad about it.

"He's right Tony. You're a sitting duck down there." Natasha said, her voice filled with amusement.

"My apologies, princess, I had no idea you all cared for my well-being," he responded sarcastically. Tony had the feeling they were more reluctant to carry the heavy remains of his suit back than actually worrying for his safety.

"Tony-" she started quickly, but it was too late. The heavy breeze of another presence was the only real warning he had. Scratch that…multiple presences.

And then they attacked.

The first hit sent Tony reeling back. The thick armor surrounding his body tumbled through the air, grazing the tops of cars. He pushed his legs under his body, heels skidding heavily along the asphalt below until he toppled to the ground. There was just a second for him to stand, legs shaky and unsteady.

His eyes blurred momentarily as he searched for the assailant. Tony couldn't tell if there were three, or six, or maybe nine. The force of the last blow was distorting the images around him, spraying them into a mass of still and moving colors. It made Tony nauseous. Bile rose in the back of his throat but he swallowed it down, raising his hands in the general direction of the alien creatures.

"Jarvis," he started tightly, "remind me to shorten the charge time on all the suits' weapons…if I make it out of here."

"Probability of survival does not look to be in your favor, sir." Jarvis quipped back.

"Thanks, Jarvis. Always the optimist, aren't you?" It wasn't really a question. Jarvis seemed to sense that.

Had Tony been in better condition, not wobbling on his feet and unsure of how many more shots his suit could produce, he may have cheered when one hit its mark, blasting the enemy in the same fashion they'd done to him. "One down and…" the images swirled again. It reminded Tony of the odd Picasso paintings Pepper always went on about, "…don't know how many left to go."

Voices shouted at him through his ear piece, 'Run, Tony!' 'Get down, Stark!'

His pride would have none of it though and he doubted the aliens in front of him would just allow him to turn on his heel and leave without a fight. He was Tony Stark, the man who made stupid decisions despite his genius mind telling him the outcome would be awful; Tony, who simply refused to go down without kicking and screaming, or in his case, making sarcastic jibes along the way.

"Alright Jarvis, let's give 'em all we got."

The gauntlets of his suit opened, revealing the few small pulse bolts he had left. Tony released the explosives, watching them all lock on their targets as he charged the last bit of power to the repulsor ray. The explosion that followed was both beautiful and terrifying with his combined attacks. Tony dropped to his knees, ignoring the fiery debris and alien limbs that flew overhead.

The assault had been unlikely to end with Tony still standing; he knew that going into it. But when he'd taken down all the enemies, using all the energy he could muster up, he thought maybe he had proven himself wrong. It wouldn't be the first time.

It was ironic, really, how the powerful explosions could take out all his enemies so effortlessly, yet manage to attract the attention of a new set. Tony laughed bitterly.

"My victory will be the death of me," he muttered to no one in particular, closing his eyes and hoping to at least take out a few more of the bastards.

"Man of Iron!"

Tony's eyes shot open, his view blocked by a large mass of muscle and armor. "It seems you are in need of some assistance."

Tony clapped his hands together slowly- and with great exertion, mumbling out in an exhausted voice, "Oh Thor, do be a dear and save this helpless damsel."

Thor's face was priceless. Where it had started out with certain smugness, it quickly morphed into an expression of confusion, "I never thought you to be the type in need of saving, Man of Iron. Was I incorrect to assume you are capable of defending yourself?"

If the innocent implication wasn't enough to bite Tony in the ass, Natasha's following laugh _was. _

"Yeah, yeah, everyone have a good laugh at my expense. I'll just be here, helpless and whatever else damsels are." he complained.

"In distress?" Thor supplied for him.

Tony shot him a look of warning that Thor wouldn't have been able to see behind his mask.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to kick someone when he's down?" Tony peaked out from behind Thor, watching as the relatively large group of aliens grew even _larger_, "Uh, on second thought, we're being rude. Thor, introduce yourself to our guests."

Thor turned slowly, his arms and legs tensing with anticipation. Mjolnir swung threateningly at his side with small twists of his wrist. The Chitauri seemed hesitant at the sight of it, rounding up in a half circle around them as if an invisible barrier prevented further movement. One of the more threatening looking aliens marched forward with confidence, its face hostile and intimidating. Tony wondered if it was because of the battle or if that was just the way their faces always looked. For once he decided not to provoke the enemy by questioning it.

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* * *

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Thor did well in holding their forces back, destroying any who strayed too close to Tony's fallen form. Now he really did feel like a damsel in distress. The thought would be much more concerning to him, if there wasn't a line of war-crazed extraterrestrials waiting to rip his body apart.

Tony watched Thor's body and hammer weave through the Chitauri, sometimes taking out a few at a time; other times he remained focused on the more determined ones. All things considered, Tony knew Thor couldn't keep this up forever. They were like cockroaches. No matter how many he killed, it seemed more and more were filling in their places.

"We could use a hand here, guys."

A few grunts and sounds of fighting were his only replies. Obviously the rest of the team was occupied as well.

Tony didn't realize Thor's mistake until it was staring him in the face, not a few feet away. The front part of his mask was opened in an earlier attempt to let the fresh air renew his warped senses.

"Oh boy, aren't you a big fella." And, yes, yes he was. Larger than the rest of them by far, in Tony's opinion. Just his luck. Tony looked at the palms of his suit, hoping that by some miracle the suit's power had restored. As fate would have it, he was screwed.

The journey back to his feet was easier than the first time, but difficult nonetheless. The fresh air was to blame for that, he supposed, but its supply was quickly cut off as he closed his mask back over his unprotected face. Tony widened his stance, spreading out his legs and trying to hold up his arms in an attempt at hand to hand combat.

One- two- three punches, and he was back on the ground, sliding into the side of a truck. The collision was just like getting hit by a speeding car, his suit vibrating against the strain. It sent a ringing through Tony's ears, much louder than the worried, powerless screams of protest. He needed a drink. That would help everything.

At first glance, flowing cape and strange attire, Tony assumed it was Thor. But the smaller, almost delicate limbs and slick, black hair that were clouding his vision said otherwise. It was the green cape, black leather armor and Thor's sudden cry that gave away the newcomer's identity.

"Brother!"

The aliens took advantage of Thor's moment of distraction, coming at him from all sides. Tony paid the scene little mind, though, as he focused on Loki's back. He could hear Loki's sound of dislike at Thor's shout. He wasn't really sure what to think, with Loki facing away from him, acting as a shield in front of Tony. This was not what he expected. There was a possibility Loki had been injured, causing a lapse in judgment. He could turn at any second and end Tony's life just as easily.

But he didn't.

The alien was disposed of quickly, its body freezing and cracking with a light green glow.

Loki's head turned slowly, regarding Tony with a look of contempt, "You mortals are more pathetic than I initially believed."

Tony's lips quirked as he spoke sarcastically, "My apologies, I'll do my best to work on that." Green eyes narrowed at him as Tony's vision darkened. He swayed a few times as he got back up on his feet, reaching out and clamping a hand on Loki's shoulder, "Should I reward you with a kiss?"

The last thing he remembered was the frustrated words of a foreign language and the weightless sensation that always came with flying, before everything went dark.

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* * *

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"Oh." Tony lowered his head back to the pillows, bandaged hands coming up to cradle his throbbing temples. "That's one hell of headache." He made to sit up again, slowly this time, as to not aggravate his aching body further. "Jarvis?"

"Yes, Sir."

Tony let out a long breath. He was in the safety of his home; stripped of his damaged suit and injuries tended to. The sudden realization of how he'd gotten here hit Tony with full force, sending his head into another wave of agony. He swung his legs over the side of his bed, sighing in relief when his bare feet touched the cool floor. His body felt like it was on fire.

Taking a deep breath, Tony stood, dismissing the complaints of his joints.

"Where is everyone, Jarvis?"

"In the kitchens, Sir," Jarvis replied

"Great, I'm starving." He was hungry, but the very thought of trying to eat anything made him want to crawl back into the cocoon of blankets on his bed and shut out the world.

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* * *

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The walk to the kitchen was not easy. Tony sucked in a mouthful of oxygen as he sauntered the rest of the way in with his usual air of arrogance, "Morning, ladies." Tony surveyed the array of breakfast lining the counter. His stomach did a flip-flop. He bypassed the food and took a seat next to Bruce, the only one who wasn't shooting him concerned glances. Bruce seemed completely focused on the screen of the television, which, soon enough, stole the attention away from Tony.

"_So tell us, what is your opinion on damage caused to the city?"_

"_Let me tell you one thing," The man scooted closer to the edge of his seat, pointing fingers toward the camera and addressing the audience rather than the questioner, "these so-called heroes caused millions of dollars worth of damage to the city. Damage that will take weeks, months, even years to rebuild, yet they're not being held responsible. I can't fathom how we consider these people, if you can call them that, heroes when they've left countless people without homes and one hell of a mess to clean up!"_

"_Don't you think they've done enough by saving us in the first place?"_

_The heavy set man chuckled humorlessly; shaking his head like it was the most obvious answer in the world. "With the lack of collateral they've left us with, we would have been better off without their…help." He spit the last word out venomously._

Tony hit the power button, watching the black screen of the television cut off what was sure to be a loud roar of agreement from the audience. His lips pursed in thought, as he stared thoughtfully at a small patch of wear on the circular table.

"I don't understand…" Steve broke the steady silence, leaning forward with a troubled expression on his face, "We saved them all."

Tony clicked his tongue in annoyance, leaning back and resting his feet on the table with his legs crossed comfortably. He pretended not to notice the sharp pains that followed.

"Well, things have changed since the dinosaur ages, Captain. People are much less grateful and more willing to throw you under a bus." His smile quirked up of its own accord and he leaned in towards the mystified man.

Steve's head bent back, avoiding the closeness as Tony grew nearer, finally catching on to his obvious teasing.

"They're scared, hurt, and most of them have lost everything. With our inefficient activity in the aftermath, the people are looking for someone to blame." Steve seemed to consider Natasha's explanation, nodding his head slightly.

Thor had remained relatively quiet since Tony's entrance, choosing to pace back and forth slowly at a small distance from the rest of them. He would stop every now and again, staring out the large glass window at the busy city below them, gaze flickering in Tony's direction out of the corner of his eyes. It was unfamiliar seeing him so quiet and thoughtful, though Thor was easy to read if you had half a brain or any semblance of common sense.

Tony had a hunch about what was bothering Thor. It was bothering Tony too. After all, the battle most likely would have been lost had it not been for the sudden efforts of Thor's estranged brother. It was an odd turn of events, in Tony's opinion. All the trouble Loki had gone to in order to wage war amongst Earth only to end up switching sides to help end the fight. Well. Maybe not so much the overall fight, but he had played a role in saving Tony's ass.

Tony stood suddenly making his way over to Thor, who stopped pacing when he noticed Tony's presence.

"My brother's actions have me troubled." He admitted.

Tony was always awkward at comforting people, especially now when he didn't even understand the motivation behind Loki's actions. "Don't think too hard on it."

Thor shook his head slowly, rubbing along his chin in irritation. It was a deep contrast to Thor's usual demeanor.

"My brother never does things without a purpose, Stark." Tony raised his eyebrows at the use of his last name.

"So?" Tony shot back.

"So," Thor turned to him, inspecting Tony like he held all the answers to the world. Or at least the answers to his brother's actions. "What purpose did he have for saving you?" It was a good point, but not a question Tony could answer.

He wasn't a fucking family psychologist and it was too early for Tony to be thinking this hard about anything complicated.

Thor gave him a once-over, before turning away, buried deep in thought again as he resumed his pacing.

"I think I'll go have a drink now." Because really, it had been too long since his last.

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* * *

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He would not give in. _Nope._

Pepper wanted to play this game? Well, Tony could play. He mustered up his best Clint Eastwood impression, raising his eyebrow and narrowing his eyes in what was meant to be an intimidating approach to their stand off. The scorching glare she threw his way, crossed arms and stiff stance, put his efforts to shame. She was the devil incarnate, raised from the fiery pits of hell just to put herself between Tony and his prize.

"Just one?" He asked hopefully.

She looked at him incredulously. "You are unbelievable, Tony Stark!"

Tony shrugged. "My talents far surpass that of an average human being, but I try not to brag."

Pepper growled, and Tony knew he was doing a great job of pushing her buttons, but not getting any closer to his goal.

"I just risked my life to save the world, um, I think that's a legitimate excuse to spoil myself with a victory drink."

"A victory drink?" Pepper's voice was calm now. Tony almost preferred the red-faced anger and shouting. She was a lot more frightening like this.

"Uh, yes?" So maybe his dry, sarcastic tone wasn't the best way to go about it. Tony had a knack for overlooking such things, though.

"Well, you can't."

"Can't? That's not really up to you." Tony replied, making to walk around Pepper and to his personal bar.

"Yes, Tony, you _can't._" She stated, watching him walk by instead of trying to stop him. "There's nothing here for you to drink…" she trailed off. "Except club soda."

Tony snorted doubtfully, his attention still focused on her as he reached toward the familiar shelf of dark-colored liquor. His hand latched onto the first bottle it touched and it felt…weightless.

Tony's eyes widened comically, watching Pepper bounce back and forth between smug and slightly guilty. He couldn't tell which emotion was winning. Tony turned his head slowly, _very_ slowly.

"Empty." He murmured quietly, frantically looking up to see the rest of his supply in identical states of bareness.

"It's for your own good, Tony." She said hesitantly. For a moment Tony thought maybe if he played the guilt card right, she might reveal where his hidden stash was, but from the sound of remorse in her voice, he figured she probably dumped it all. Such a waste.

Tony's fist clenched and unclenched around the glass nose of his bottle, biting down on his tongue to control his temper. It was really hard for him to get this upset, but it was harder to go without the substance that relaxed him. He took a deep breath while he listened to Pepper leave, but not before she threw once last threat over her shoulder.

"Don't even_ think_ about trying to get more, so help me God, Tony."

Tony didn't doubt he would regret opposing her. Coffee would have to do for now.


End file.
